Apple Upside-Down Cake with Almonds

 

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, September 2009 Notes: At an end of summer BBQ, we were asked to contribute dessert. We recently went apple picking at Avalon Orchards in Innisfil and came back with a lot of Nova Mac apples. They're very small and tart, but there wasn't much selection at the orchard. This recipe calls for caramelizing the apples gently in a pan, then pouring cake batter over top. I overcooked them a bit and they almost turned into applesauce. This is another reason not to blindly follow directions (30 minutes) but to use your judgment (just until soft). I made the almond variation (not in the link above) which gave it a marzipan flavour. A pretty tasty cake and would be great with coffee or tea.